May 26, 2005

Bottom of order
steps up for Culver

By CURT RALLO
Tribune Staff Writer

LAKEVILLE -- New Prairie's softball team didn't want any part of Culver Academies sluggers Alexia Clay or Jackie Lawrence, walking them a combined eight straight times in Wednesday's Class 3-A high school softball sectional championship.

But it was the bottom of Culver Academies' lineup, not the top, that finally broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning.

Teresa Greppi, the No. 9 hitter in the Culver Academies' lineup, perfectly placed an infield single along the third-base side with two out in the top of the eighth inning to snap a scoreless tie. Clay, finally getting a chance to hit because the bases were loaded, belted another RBI single, giving Culver Academies a 2-0 victory and the sectional crown.

Culver Academies is 29-2, and will play in regional competition on Saturday, June 4. New Prairie's season is over at 24-6.

Culver Academies pitcher Jackie Lawrence and New Prairie pitcher Shaina Smith make Wednesday's pitchers' duel an extra-inning classic. Lawrence (29-2) struck out 15 and allowed only two hits in eight scoreless innings. Smith's two runs in the eighth were unearned, and she gave up five hits. Smith is 17-3.

New Prairie walked Clay and Lawrence each of their first four at bats. The Eagles had nine baserunners in scoring position through the first seven innings.

"We finally came through," Culver Academies coach Jen Mascari said. "We just needed one hit, but we couldn't get it until the eighth inning. I thought if we lose, we deserve to go down if we can't get one hit. But people did what we needed them to do when we needed it."

Lawrence dominated sectional play, giving up only four hits in three games total.

"What she does, she's not here to strike everybody out," Mascari said. "She's here to control the hits, and that's what she did.

"I thought it was a total team effort," Marcari continued. "We made some key defensive plays. Our shortstop, Kristen Smith, made one of the best defensive plays I've seen her make all season."

New Prairie coach Tim Scott said that the Cougars' strategy was to not let Clay or Lawrence beat them with their bats. But an error by right-fielder Libby Romstadt to start the eighth inning set the stage for the Eagles' winning rally.

New Prairie, meanwhile, only had two runners in scoring position all game.

"Our opportunities were too far and too in between for us," Scott said. "We couldn't get a hit when we needed it.

"Smith pitched a great game," Scott said of his pitching star. "She was near perfect. The bigger the game, the better pitcher she is."

Greppi, the No. 9 hitter who put the Eagles on top in the eighth inning, said that the Eagles weren't frustrated by leaving runners stranded in scoring position. She said she was able to maintain her composure to deliver the game-winning RBI.

"I've been working hard so I'm not nervous at the plate and I can concentrate on hitting," Greppi said. "I didn't get a great hit, but it worked.

"You just have to move on," Greppi said of earlier Culver Academies frustrations at the plate. "I have experience getting frustrated and digging myself a hole. I've learned to focus and pick myself up, and my teammates do a great job of picking everybody up when they need it."

CULVER ACADEMIES 2, NEW PRAIRIE 0

Culver Academies 000 000 02 - 2 5 1

New Prairie           000 000 00 - 0 2 1

Jackie Lawrence (W, 29-2) and Alexia Clay; Shaina Smith (L, 17-3) and Erika Wulczynski.

Lady Eagles work OT for sectional win

By Andy McCaslin
Pilot Correspondent

LAKEVILLE - After a brutal sectional schedule, Culver Girls Academy coach Jen Mascari can finally relax a little bit. But she had to get through Wednesday night's extra-inning final first.

Last night's match-up was the third meeting in three years in the sectional for CGA and New Prairie and for the third time in a row the Lady Eagles came out on top, this time 2-0 to win the Class 3A LaVille Sectional.

It was the Cougars' plan to take the bat out of the hands of their two toughest opponents - the state's career home run record-holder, Alexia Clay, and Jackie Lawrence, one of the toughest pitchers in the state, but also another feared bat.

"It was working," Mascari said of the Cougars scheme as she recalled the combined eight intentional walks to her two stars. "They wanted to make our girls behind them hit, and it got frustrating."

The third inning was the closest the Eagles got to scoring in regulation.

The inning started with a single by sophomore Teresa Greppi. Then Clay was walked before Randi O'Neal advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. With one out and two runners in scoring position, New Prairie coach Tim Scott kept to his plan and decided to walk Lawrence to fill the bases.

"We played them earlier in the season and it was just what we needed to do," he said.

With the bases full, Cougar shortstop LeAnn Collins fielded a hard shot and threw home to just beat Greppi to keep the game scoreless. Pitcher Shaina Smith quickly got up on the next batter 0-2 and forced an easy out to end the threat.

The Cougars had a hard time getting anything going with the dominant pitching performance by Lawrence.

"I love to pitch. I love being in control, knowing that you always have to be ready," said Lawrence, who struck out 15 while allowing just two hits.

As the visitors, CGA started the eighth inning by reaching base on a fielding error - one of just two for NP the entire game. Grace Lee then cracked the first base hit in four innings, advancing the runner to second. A missed force play at third on the next batter once again loaded the bases for the Eagles. This time Greppi snuck in the opening run with an infield hit.

Clay was the next batter and with nowhere to put her, the Cougars had to abandon their plan. On a 1-0 count, Clay drove the ball through the hole at short knocking in the second run of the ballgame. The Cougars got out of the inning on an unassisted double play by Melissa Vascil.

With the game on the line in the bottom half of the inning the Eagles capitalized.

"It's what the good teams do," Mascari said. "We stuck in there and pulled it out."

Coach Scott was frustrated after the loss.

"It has been three years that we've met (CGA) in the sectional and we just haven't been able to finish a game. It's not something I want to keep getting used to."

CGA 2, NEW PRAIRIE 0
LaVille Sectional final
At Lakeville
CGA 000 000 02 - 2 5 2
New Prairie 000 000 00 - 0 2 2
Jackie Lawrence (W, 29-2), and Alexia Clay; Shaina Smith (L) and Erika Wulczynski.
Records: CGA 29-2, New Prairie 24-6
NOTES: In addition to the sectional title, CGA set a school record for most wins by a girls' team in any sport at the Academy with a total of 29. CGA is set to go for their 30th win of the season on June 4 at the Twin Lakes Regional taking on the winner of the Andrean Sectional.